Tours Abroad
Every child at Summer Fields will attend an academic trip to France as part of their studies, but the examples below illustrate some of the educational, sporting and musical travel opportunities on offer at Summer Fields.
Rugby Tours
The Summer Fields Rugby Tour to South Africa takes place every three years with parents, boys and staff travelling together. The most recent tour took place in March 2008, where the 1st and 2nd XV played challenging fixtures at Highbury School in Durban, Durban Preparatory High School, Bishops Preparatory in the Cape Town suburb of Rondebosch and even barefoot matches at Zimasa Community School in Cape Town. The boys were also given the opportunity to take-in South African culture with visits to Shakaland to learn about Zulu culture and customs, to the Spier Wine Estate to see their hand-raised Cheetahs at the Cheetah Outreach Programme; as well as climbing to the top of Isandlwana to see breathtaking views of the Babanango Valley.
Choir Tours
Each year the Summer Fields choristers travel with parents and staff to a different international destination to travel and perform. Tours have included travelling to New York in 2004, Tuscany in 2005, Flanders in 2007 and France in 2006 and 2008. The Choir has performed in esteemed venues including the Cathedral of St John the Divine in New York, the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore in Florence and the Cathédrale Notre Dame in Paris.
Battlefield Tours
Summer Fields Head of Boarding and author of No Time to Spare?, Chris Sparrow, has led many school trips to battlefields all over the world, becoming an expert in the fate of the 300 Old Summerfieldians who died at war. His particular interest has led him to research the ‘boys who went to war’, and he has visited the graves of more than 100 Old Summerfieldians. The boys have travelled with him to South Africa, Turkey, France, Belgium and around England reinforcing the history curriculum and learning about Old Summerfieldians’ major contributions to the Nation’s wars.
For information regarding Summer Fields' 2010 trip to the Somme Battlefields, please click here.